Perfidious
by J.Lynn.o5
Summary: The way his fingers trickled across my skin, the seductive graze he'd give me when I growled; he was pure sin & I couldn't get enough of it. Like an addict needs heroine, I needed him... he was my drug, my addiction. All it took was one second, and my world, my normalcy... it changed forever... Rating will change to M eventually Daryl/Beth - BETHYL / AU.
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD (although I wish I did lol); I JUST OWN MY STORY LINE :)**

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**Prologue**

_I never encountered a man like him before. __All it took was one sideway glare. __One single glance in my direction. __One long hard look into his cavernous eyes, and I was completely captivated by him. __Neither of us knew one another; but, in an instant… __I belonged to him. __I was his hostage, his prisoner, his property. __He was like a drug I couldn't rid myself from, a demon I never wanted to escape from. __A powerful escape from reality, a pleasure unlike anything I'd ever experienced in my whole entire life._

_The way his fingers trickled across my skin, the seductive graze he'd give me when I growled; __he was pure sin & I couldn't get enough of it. __Like an addict needs heroine, I **needed **him... __All it took was one second, and my world, my normalcy... __It all changed **forever**..._

**XxxxxxxX**

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**Chapter One - The Governors' Wife**

"Hunny, did you hear me?" Phillips' face appeared alongside my reflection in the mirror, as I pulled my face back up from the sink; and shut off the faucet, "My burgundy tie, do you have any idea where it is? It was here yesterday, I know it was"

Drying my face with the towel, I tried to mentally locate it in my mind. I knew I'd seen the thing just the night before; but the question was _where_?

"Give me one second Sweetie; I'm sure it's in here somewhere"

As I hurried to dry the remainder of my face with the towel, and scrounge the room for this missing tie, I could see Phillip becoming more and more anxious; or rather, I could feel him becoming more and more anxious with every second that passed. He'd always gotten that way, whenever something wasn't completely planned out, or something was missing and it through off his carefully prearranged day; _hence the tie_. Some might say that he technically had symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; although he was never actually diagnosed with such. However, I'd gotten pretty used to it by then – his meltdowns when things were shaken up a little, and not being able to locate a tie? Ha, that was just a _minor_ freak out, I'd dealt with worse.

"I'm really – I'm going to be late Beth" he said with a fretful tone as he too, continued scoping our bedroom for the misplaced tie.

"I know, just hold on a sec. We'll find it"

I never understood his panic attacks over small things like that, I mean, honestly… just wear a different tie. But nonetheless, I kept looking.

"Ah here it is!" I shouted from the living room as I retrieved the _perfect_ burgundy tie up from the floor next to Harley, our fairly new six-month old German Shepard, "I found the hairy little bandit"

I dusted it off, thoroughly checking to make sure the pup hadn't done any damage to it, and _thankfully_ she hadn't, before handing it to Phillip.

"Harley this is not the way to get on my good side" Phillip joked as he wrapped the tie around his neck, prompting me to help him finish it as his nerves settled from his apprehension.

I have to admit, my nerves had to settle a bit as well. I really hadn't felt like dealing with one of his freak out's that morning neither, and had the pup done anything to the tie, there definitely would have been a freak out.

"Thank you sweetheart" he said as he lowered his lips to mine and gave me a gentle kiss, "What would I do without you?"

I just smiled. Even with all his quirks, and the stress he'd put me through when he'd panic about minor things, simple moments like that would make that all disappear. I loved him, I really did. He was the only man I'd been with my entire life, the only man who'd ever touched me.

We'd been married for three years by that time, and before that, we dated for almost two. He was all I'd ever known for such a long period of my life, that it felt safe, normal, _planned_ out.

"Have a good day Sweetie, knock em' dead" I said with a smile briefly as he planted one more kiss on my forehead and made his way out the door.

Phillip was a business man mostly; he earned a degree in law a few years back and began working for a high-end public affair law firm in Atlanta. We'd moved to the city particularly for his job; but also due to his passion of wanting to run for city public office as well. He'd always been a people person, and he liked the challenge of petitioning government and trying to make differences for the common good of the public. He was trying to earn a spot as the city Governor at the time, which of course I was proud of him for; however, along with his campaigning, a lot of our personal life was beginning to become something of public interest.

Even though I'd never imagined myself being interviewed on behalf of my husband, or hearing my family members tell me how they'd seen me on TV occasionally, I learned to cope with it all because I loved him. I loved that he was passionate about it, I loved that it gave him something to work towards. He had many goals, and that was a great attribute of his. The life was demanding at times, sometimes stressful; but I appreciated it more or less. It did have its downfalls sometimes, being in the public eye, but I dealt with it all. I mean, I knew the type of person Phillip was when I married him- that's what I signed up for when I said 'I do' to him.

Before he'd come into my life, I was just a normal southern girl living at home on my Daddy's farm, going to college and just trying to do the best I could. I lived a rather simple life, very slow paced and nonchalant. That was normal to me.

Sometimes I missed being close to my family, my dad, my sister Maggie; but, that was one of the choices I made when I agreed to move to Atlanta with my husband. Prior to that, I lived in the small town of Senoia. I attended a community college and then eventually made it into a University for my Master's Degree. It's funny because at the time, I thought that was the craziest part of my life. _Small town girl gets accepted into a State University to complete her degree on Animal Studies, Science and Medicine._ It was unheard of, and probably one of the most exciting things that had ever happened in my life, that is, before meeting Phillip of course.

He and I met during my senior year of Graduate school. I was smitten with him from the second I laid eyes on him, I actually remember saying that it was love at first sight. He was handsome, charming, sweet, caring, and funny. Everything I'd wanted in someone, he was.

He was in his last year of Law School and we actually met during a case study on Animal Cruelty. He was volunteering at the local courthouse for service credits, and I was part of the petitioning side, trying to prove that the city had violated animal protection laws.

It's funny when I think back about it because Phillip was actually helping to defend the city, and I was looking to help prove that they committed a crime. We were technically enemies, on opposite sides; but somehow, I guess fate intervened, despite the circumstances.

I'd always catch him staring at me during the debates, stealing glances or starting casual small talk before and after; but once the trial was completed a few months after, and the verdict was made, he finally worked up the courage to ask me on a date. I was apprehensive at first, worried that this man was some kind of raging lunatic that had some vendetta against poor innocent animals. However, I gave him a chance and well, found out that he wasn't this crazy man I thought he was. He actually loved animals; he just had to complete the case for his degree.

After that, everything was history. We just clicked and became inseparable ever since. My family had their reservations about him at first, because he was so set on moving to Atlanta; however, they supported my decision to be with him nonetheless and eventually warmed up to the idea. Things just kind of progressed, and after two years we were married and heading to the city. I honestly always thought I'd live and work in Senoia, conducting studies on the many acres of woods and wild animals we had there; but, I decided to give up a part of me to be with Phillip. I loved him, and I figured I'd make it work.

I wasn't as involved with wildlife the way I wanted to be; however, I did frequently make trips out of the city to conduct studies and experiments often. It wasn't completely diminished.

That particular day, I was actually heading out to the northern hills of Georgia. There had been a lot of talk about the recent migration and the increasing numbers of deer in that area, so I wanted to see it for myself. Kind of observe the area and find out the root of the cause, and why there was such a sudden increase.

I had originally planned to go with a co-worker at the small animal clinic I worked part-time for in Atlanta; but at the last minute she bailed, said her son had come down with some kind of stomach bug and she wouldn't be able to.

I wasn't sure if I'd have another chance to go in the coming weeks, because of all Phillips public events and stuff, so I decided to make the trip anyway, alone. It wasn't like I'd never done something like that by myself before. I did it all the time in Senoia, so I wasn't really concerned about it. I wanted to complete this study, so the logical thing to do was to just go and do it, with or without my co-worker.

After Phillip left, I carried on with my usual morning routine. I jumped in the shower, dressed myself and tied my hair up in a messy ponytail. Grabbed a quick bite to eat for breakfast, and then packed a bag of some extra water and a few snacks for myself for the drive and the expedition.

Once I finished and I was set to head out towards my destination, I quickly fed Harley, grabbed my cellphone and my documentation journal and made my way out the door, closing it behind me, never knowing just how symbolic those couple of minutes would be to me later. How unfamiliar those things would feel after that day, how much my routine would forever change.

Waiting in the elevator as it descended was always a pain. It was one of the worst parts about living in a 22 story, high-rise apartment. Phillip and I lived on the 21st floor, and it was a beautiful spacious penthouse style apartment; however, the constant stopping at each floor on the way down the elevator was pure misery. Sometimes it would take nearly ten minutes to get to the bottom, especially in the morning hours when all the business men and woman who lived in the building were all leaving for work at the same time. It was definitely my least favorite thing about living there.

When the elevator door finally opened on the lobby floor, I prepped myself for the amount of news casters and reporters that seemed to increase each and every day outside the complex doors. As the race for Governor continued on, Phillip was more and more of a target to the press as a result, and myself, being his wife, was a prime focus as well.

I was starting to get somewhat used to it; however, I don't think anyone could ever prepare enough for the intrusive and very demanding attitudes of news reporters pushing microphones in your face and following you with cameras the minute you step onto the street. It was a stressful thing to deal with; but I tried to remind myself that _everyone had a job to do_. My father always told me that, of course, pertaining to other circumstances; but I felt it applied to that situation as well. It was their job to conduct the newest happenings in the city, even if that meant trying to dig up any kind of dirt they could on the potential new Governor and his wife.

_"__Mrs. Blake, can you tell us how it feels to know your husband is in the highest ranking for the race of Atlanta's new city Governor?"_

_"__Mrs. Blake, what is Phillip Blake's strategy during this election process?"_

The shouting and the many questions rang through my ears as I tried to shimmy my way through them, at many times thinking about just bolting to the parking garage as fast as I can.

"He is very passionate about his running for Governor, and I am very proud of him", I said simply as I tried to push my way through, feeling an increasing sense of anxiety as I smiled my way past, "I'm sorry, I am in a hurry. I can't answer any more questions"

Finally getting to the parking garage, which they were not prohibited to enter into, was like a luxury, although it felt like it took years to get to it and it was only a few feet away from the main door.

As I reached my SUV and got into the driver's seat, I took a couple of deep breaths and began regrouping myself after such chaos. I had to; it was the only way to get my mind back on track.

Eventually I started the car, and drove off towards my intended destination. I have to admit, that was probably the best part about driving the many hours out to conduct these studies; they were mostly in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew who I was, and there wasn't one news reporter looking to follow me around. It was relaxing, and a nice escape from all the madness. I really enjoyed the couple of hours I'd have in peace, even if it was only temporary.

After a good two hours, I'd finally reached my exit on the highway and geared off towards a very secluded and very quiet wooded area. It mostly consisted of dirt roads and not one person in sight. As I pulled off to a shoulder on the road, and cut off the engine, I grabbed my tote, throwing my journal, camera, snacks, water, cellphone and pepper spray into it. Everything was pretty much essential, except for the pepper spray. Phillip had recently given that to me; he said it made him feel more comfortable when I went out on such exhibitions if I had it, so to please him; I always took it with me.

I finally got out the car and headed into the woods, to begin the first half of my study. I stayed in that area for a good couple of hours or so, getting a great deal of pictures, and documenting a decent amount of deer; however, it wasn't really enough to compare yet, so I decided to head back to the car and find a second area to enter into.

It was approaching noon already by the time I returned back to the car, and figured I'd just drive a couple of miles, find a place to stop, and then wander out for just a few more hours, three tops, before heading back home.

As I drove along the dirt roads, trying to balance keeping an eye on my GPS, as well as focusing on the road, all of a sudden a deer came racing out into the street, followed by its' young. I panicked as I swerved left and right to avoid hitting them, eventually coming to an involuntary halt as the SUV reared off onto the side and I heard a loud pop from my front tire.

"Shit!" I shouted out, banging my hands against the steering wheel, when I realized that I had definitely given myself a flat tire.

I jumped out the car and immediately walked towards the deflated tire, examining it to see what the hell could have caused it to completely rip open. As I bent down onto the ground, I noticed a massive claw trap resting behind the tire and instantly my frustration rose.

Not only had this stupid trap completely severed my tire; but some asshole must have set it there to catch a deer, or any animal for that matter. I don't know which one made me more livid, but just the thought of some poor animal becoming caught in such a trap really infuriated me. What kind of heartless person would willingly inflict pain upon another living thing? It baffled me that people were so cruel, and so evil.

After dealing with the many emotions running through me, I finally got back up and went to retrieve my cell phone from the car; hoping that I could call Triple A or something to come help me change the tire. I had a spare in the bottom canvas of the trunk; but I didn't know the first thing about how to change a tire. It was almost foreign to me.

I pulled the phone out of my tote and aimlessly walked in circle, raising the phone up and down as I tried to get an increase signal.

"Figures" I muttered, as not even the slightest increase in service changed, "great, now what?" I asked myself, trying to figure out something to do in that situation.

A second later I happened to smell a faint burning of some sort, and I walked towards the other side of the road to get a view of the dark smoke that was lingering above the tall tree tops adjacent from me.

It looked like chimney smoke, the same dark thick smolder that would release from the chimney top back at home on the farm. I knew it had to be coming from someone's home and maybe, perhaps, they might have a landline I could use to call for help.

I may have made a really bad decision, not knowing whose home I was going to try and wander upon, but in that moment, I really had no other options. So I decided to grab my tote, lock up the car, and follow the direction of the smell. Never really knowing how much that decision would forever change the course of my life…

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**There you have it... the prologue & the first chapter :)**

**Hope you are all intrigued and I look forward to the progression of this story... it's going to be intense!**

**Don't forget to review please :) :)**

**Until the next chapter... Xo**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thank you all for such an amazing response to the first chapter! I'm excited that you are all interested! Here is the next chapter, it's a long one :) enjoy!_**

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**Chapter Two – Daryl**

I hadn't walked far before the smell began intensifying; assuring me that I was indeed getting closer to the house the smoke was coming from. Not only did the smell thicken, but I could also hear the faint sound of a radio playing and a motor of some sort being turned on and then turned off again every few seconds. At least I knew someone would be there, and _hopefully it wasn't going to turn out to be Jason from Friday the thirteenth or some weird guy with half his face hanging off and a massive chainsaw_. I had to admit that even thinking about that as a possibility started to freak me out a little; but, I just prayed to god and hoped that it would turn out to be some normal folks who would quickly let me use their telephone and then be on my way, otherwise I was just a _dead girl walking_.

Not after too long, I finally began to see a medium-sized cabin in the distance and through the trees. As far as I could tell it didn't look too bad, and the front door was wide open. The sound of the music increased the closer I got; whoever was listening to it was obviously into some serious classic rock. There were songs playing that I hadn't heard since I was a little girl.

As I finally reached the ending of the trees and slowly approached the little house, I didn't see anyone in sight; not in the front of the house at least. I didn't want to just intrude and walk to the back end of the house, even though that was where the music was coming from, so I decided to take my chances with knocking on the front door first. Maybe someone was inside the house as well?

I made my way towards the stairs, slowly creeping up them as I observed the small porch. There wasn't much of anything, besides an old wooden rocking chair and a couple of crushed beer cans in the corner.

"Hello?" I said questionably as I lightly knocked on the screen door.

I could barely see anything inside, just a hall leading to a kitchen on the far end; not one person coming into view.

"Hello?" I said again, although I already knew that whoever lived in the house had to have been around back, and even though I didn't want to just walk around their property, I had no choice; I didn't walk that far for _nothing_.

I made my way back down the stairs and cautiously began walking through what looked like freshly raked soil. I figured it was a garden that must have been recently tended, so I tried my hardest to be careful and tip toe around it. Once reaching the side of the house, there was a small wired fence that I carefully stepped over. I stopped momentarily as I noticed a shot gun leaning up against the siding, causing a wave of anxiety to roll through my veins. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to take another step further, wondering if there was more of those things lying around anywhere else, and whether they were being used for hunting animals or _people_.

However, I swallowed hard and decided to keep walking; making a mental note of where to grab the gun if I needed to, _not that I even had a clue on how to use the damn thing anyhow, but still_. As I finally approached the back corner of the house and slowly peeked out from around it there was a man sitting on the dirt, singing along to the music and pulling apart a bunch of different objects from a motorcycle, which explained the motor sound I kept hearing as I was walking there. His back was facing me, and the only thing I could really see was that he bared no shirt and had brown shaggy hair, about chin to shoulder length. He didn't look like a psycho, and there were no chainsaws in sight, _so that was a plus_.

"Uhm, excuse me?" I said lightly, a little nervous as I slowly and carefully began approaching him; but the music was so loud that he must not have heard me at all because he didn't even budge.

I walked closer towards him, but I didn't want to scare the man either, people act in self-defense when someone sneaks up on them, and I sure as hell didn't want to startle him.

Just as I was about to try and say something again, I took a step forward and something snapped around my boot, causing a wave of intense pain and my body to crash onto the ground.

"Shit!" I yelled out as the pain ran through my foot like pine needles.

Suddenly the man turned around and jumped to his feet; his face completely confused as he looked towards me and then my foot which was clamped in one of those _god damn bear claw traps!_

"Tha' fuck? Who the hell er' you?" he shouted as he dropped a wrench from his hand a walked towards me.

"I- ah, I was jus' walkin' over here to ask if I could use your phone, 'cause my tire blew out on my truck, and – ah, ouch…" I tried to keep explaining, but the increasing pain from the clamp was making it hard to speak.

"Aright, shit – hol' on a sec'" the man said as he shook his head and ran over towards the motorcycle, picking up a pair of pliers from the ground and quickly running back over towards me. He quickly latched them onto a screw at the bottom of the trap and began losing the bolt, allowing the pressure to release and eventually slipping it off of my foot.

I quickly unzipped the top half of my boots and rolled up my jeans to get a view of the area it clamped down on. It was immediately swollen and turning a slight purplish color. "Damn it" I breathed out as I tried to circulate movement in it, but I could after moving it for only a second that it was pretty bad.

"Don't look good" the man said as he eyed the swelling area of my leg, "but ya' lucky you had boots on, otherwise it woulda' cut right through yer' leg"

"What the hell do you have bear claw traps around your house for anyway?" I said, with a slightly irritated tone. _I mean seriously, who puts them there?_

"Not mine" he said in response; but his face quickly jerked and he raised an eyebrow, "If you weren't sneakin' up on me and my property, I coulda' warned ya'"

"I tried to knock on the front door" I spat back, but then quickly softened my tone, "sorry, I jus'- can I please use your phone?"

"Yeah; but let's see if you can get up first aright?" he said as he stood up and extended a hand towards me. I hesitated for a second, simply because I didn't know the man, but eventually I placed my hand in his and he pulled me up and to my feet.

"Ah, ouch, ouch" I whimpered as I barely put any pressure on my foot.

"C'mon inside" the man said as he grabbed ahold of me, allowing me to alleviate the pressure of standing on it, "I can wrap it up and get ya' some ice"

I nodded and the scruffy-faced man led me towards the back door. I wasn't going to argue; I knew damn well that my ankle and foot were swelling more and more by the second.

After helping me up the back steps and into the house, he led me over towards a chair in his kitchen, where I took a seat and he pulled another chair in front of me to place my foot on top of.

He left the room for a second and returned with a bandage to wrap my leg. As he knelt down beside me I could feel my stomach twinge a little as he tried to unzip the rest of my boot, partially due to the pain, and partially because it was a little strange to have some man I barely knew that close to me.

"I'm Beth by the way" I said, my voice a little uneven as he slid the boot off of my foot. He just looked up at me through the top of his eyes and slowly rolled my pant leg up, revealing the even darker shade of purple spreading from the heel of my foot to the front of my calf.

"Daryl" he stated; slowly beginning to wrap the bandage around my foot and ankle, pausing every so often when I would wince a bit, "You ain't from here are ya?" he asked.

"Nope. I'm from Atlanta… was jus' out here for work until my tire was slashed by one of those _torture_ traps". His eyes furrowed in confusion, and I clarified, "One of those bear claw traps… there was one up by the road and I ran it over. Slit my whole tire wide open"

Daryl shook his head and a small chuckle escaped his mouth. I had no idea what could possibly be funny about that, so I just stared at him with a puzzled expression.

"That's my brother, Merle… he sets those things up all over the place. Say's it's easier to catch a hunt; but I don't agree"

"That's jus' sick" I blurted out, not realizing that my opinion would fly out of my mouth so fast, "that's torturing the animals for no good reason"

"Yeah, well my brothers a sick fuck sometimes, so, what are ya gonna' do? I personally think a nice clean head shot gets the job done quicker, and plus, it's less of a fuckin' mess"

I didn't respond, and honestly, after experiencing my own foot getting caught in one of those traps, I didn't even want to know what it felt like on a poor animal's bare skin. It wasn't that I was against hunting and eating animals, that wasn't it at all. I wasn't a vegetarian or anything, I ate meat, in fact I believed that it was a part of life; but torturing animals just too eventually kill them and eat them anyway was just horrible. Just shoot the poor thing and get it over with, don't torture it and then ultimately kill it anyway after it's suffered.

"So I assume the shot gun I seen on the side of your house is yours then?" I asked

"Oh that? Nah, well kinda'… we both use it; but I'm more of a bow and arrow kinda' guy… I can shoot a crossbow with my eyes closed and hit my intended target right in-between the eyes if I wanted to"

I wasn't going to lie, it was quite nerve wracking to hear the guy say that, especially being that I was sitting inside his home and had no idea who he was and whether or not he could turn into some kind of psycho path in a split second.

"Your intended target?" I asked a little weary, "You do mean whatever animal you're hunting right?"

He looked up at me and chuckled, "Yeah… that and if someone tries to come creepin' up on me and my property"

My body stiffened, and by the look on his face I could definitely tell that he knew I had become extremely nervous.

"I'm jus' messin' with ya girl" he said another chuckle left his mouth and he placed a piece of tape over the final wrapping on the bandage, "Lemme' get ya' some ice". He walked over towards the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen vegetables, "This'll work" he said as he handed it to me and I placed it on top of my foot.

"Thanks" I said in a soft voice, still calming my nerves, "Can I use your phone please?"

He gave a quick nod and then grabbed a cordless phone off the counter and handed it to me, "Go ahead; but I'm jus' warnin' ya darlin', it'll be hours before anyone from triple A gets over to this area"

"_Great_" I said while glancing down at the time on my cellphone, "is there anyone around here I could call? Like a car shop or somethin' that can fix it for me?"

"There is; but again, you're gonna' be waitin' quite a while… we're in the sticks sweetheart, there ain't nothin' but trees for miles on end. The closest shop is in town, and that's close ta' forty miles away"

"So, what do I do then? I need ta' get my tire changed somehow" I asked, starting to feel the stress rising as I worried I wouldn't get back to Atlanta till god knows when.

"How far's ya' truck?" he asked.

"About a mile down, on some road. Why?" I asked, massaging the temples of my forehead as I felt a headache creeping up my neck.

"Cause I can change it if ya' want… that is, if ya' got a spare"

"You can?" I asked foolishly, _of course he could, he's a man, and I'd seen him working on the motorcycle before my foot was almost chomped off_. "That would be great… really; I could pay you if ya' want"

He shook his head, "I don't need ya' money girl; just' tell me what kinda' car it is and what color and gimme' ya keys and I'll drive it over here and fix it"

I immediately searched my bag and pulled out my keys, leaning over to hand them to him, "It's a dark green Mercedes GL-SUV; it should be pulled right on the side of the road there"

Daryl's eyes widened and the expression on his face changed as he nodded with a surprised look, "Mercedes huh? Flashy ain't it?"

I didn't answer right away, and honestly I was kinda' confused. _It wasn't flashy_, it was just a car… _okay maybe it was a little flashy_; but, still… I didn't like being referred to as '_flashy_'.

"I don't think so… it's jus' a car"

He laughed inwardly for a second but didn't argue, "Alright well, I'm gonna' go get it then… jus' sit tight and ice that for a bit"

"Wait" I immediately shouted, not meaning to yell at all, "You jus' want me ta' wait in your house?"

"Yeah, I ain't gonna' take very long" he said with a confused tone.

"But… you barely even know me" I said and looked at him as if he had three heads, "How do ya' know I ain't some kinda' thief or somethin'? Not that I am… I'm jus' sayin'"

Again he chuckled, as if he was attempting to make fun of me in some way, "I'll take my chances" he chortled, and then joked, "besides, like I tol' ya… I got killer aim. You ain't gonna' get very far darlin'"

I didn't respond, but rather gulped at the words. That was pretty scary, knowing that the guy could slaughter something in one blast.

"Sit tight – I'll be right back", he said as he made his way out the kitchen and eventually out the door.

I just sat there, staring around at the very old fashioned, kinda' out of date kitchen. It wasn't very big, and honestly, compared to mine, it was about the size of my guest bathroom, _which wasn't very spacious at all_.

However, I had to admit that it was quite homely. It had a nice country feel to it, very warming if anything. It reminded me of the houses I used to say I would buy back when I was in college, that is, before meeting Phillip.

I had always wanted to move into some cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where I could conduct a bunch of studies all day long and not have to travel anywhere to get to them. Where I could sit on my front porch with a cup of coffee and just read, listening to nothing but the birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees.

I could feel myself imagining it and floating off into some dreamland far away, as I sat in complete silence, resting my head onto my hand and leaning on top of some strangers table, that I hadn't known more than a half hour. _Snap out of it_, I remember telling myself. It was crazy, and what was I doing? How unsafe was it for me to go on this expedition alone? _Great job Beth. Seriously, great friggin' job_. For all I knew, this guy was planning on murdering me and no one would ever know where the hell to even look for me.

As I continued scolding myself for my unwisely made decisions, I was distracted by a loud engine outside, eventually cutting off. It sounded nothing like my truck, and therefore, my stomach began to get queasy again. But that wasn't anything compared to the deep bellowing and the nervousness I felt the minute I heard the screen door open and a voice that sounded nothing like Daryl's.

"_Daryl? Where you at little brother? I got dinner!_" the deep voice said with a sinful laugh following. I bit my lip as I contemplated getting up and making a run for it; _but of course, I never act quickly enough_.

"Dar-" the man appeared into the kitchen and his words cut off as he caught sight of me sitting at the table. He was a heavier man, sporting a bald head and grey stubble on his face. _I couldn't lie, he was pretty frightening looking_. "Well, who in the fuck are you?" he said with one eyebrow raised as he walked over and slapped a dead baby deer onto the counter, with a bullet wound on the side of its' head.

I cringed at the sight, and I truly thought I was going to puke for a second. "I- uh, I'm Beth" I said; my voice shaky and intimidated, "I'm waitin' for Daryl to get back with my truck"

The man just stared at me. He stared like I was a piece of meat. _A small helpless piece of meat_. Eyeballing me up and down in a very sleazy and perverted kind of way. It was actually beginning to gross me out, and I immediately crossed my arms as if I was shielding myself in a sense.

"Waitin' on the baby brother huh?" he said with a devilish grin, "well now, I think I'm gonna' have ta' find out where the little brothers' hangin' out now'a days to get himself a pretty little thing like you"

I instantly felt my face furrow in confusion, "Oh, I'm not- I jus' found him when I got a flat tire; I needed a telephone to use- that's all"

His eyes continued scanning me, eventually stopping at my wrapped up ankle, "And that? Lemme' guess, he patched that up fer ya' too?"

"Yes" I looked down at the bandages and then back up at him, "I got my foot caught in one of those claw traps"

He let out a laugh and I couldn't help but feel a little defensive. _Was he laughing at me? Because I didn't find it very funny at all_.

"Well ain't that a pickle?" he said very sarcastically and I felt my face tightening and my eyes narrowing at him, "Oh don't get defensive blondie, I jus' find it entertainin' ta' know that I do in fact hide them suckers pretty well"

"Yeah well, maybe you oughta' re-think about where you put em'" I blurted out of anger, "I coulda' lost my damn foot"

"Well aren't you ballsy?" he said mockingly, obviously still amused for some reason unknown to me, "What are ya' some city girl or somethin'? Ya don't know that you shouldn't be wanderin' around wooded areas and not checkin' ya surroundings for things?"

I was about to answer back with another smart remark, but I stopped myself when I heard the screen door open again. Two seconds later Daryl walked into the kitchen with my keys in his hand.

"So uh, we got a problem girl" he started, but came to a halt when he caught sight of his brother in the kitchen as well, "I see you met Merle?" he said as he looked at him with narrow eyes, as if he already knew how obnoxious the guy was to me.

"I have" I replied; clearing my throat, and making it noticeable that I didn't enjoy the mini conversation I had with him very much.

"Oh yeah, Blondie here was jus' tellin' me about how her foot was caught in the trap" he let out a very loathsome snicker, "gave me a good laugh"

"Cut it out Merle" Daryl snapped at him, unamused by his sarcasm, "leave the girl alone"

"Oooh, baby brother says leave Blondie alone" he laughed again and Daryl's eyes once again narrowed at him, "Alright, alright… I gotta' go skin this fucker anyway" Merle said as he forcefully slid the fawn back off of the counter and began walking towards the back door, "See ya' later sugar tits" he scoffed before closing the door behind him.

I was taken aback; _did he actually just say that to me? What I a fucking sleazebag!_

"Don't mind him, he's an asshole" Daryl said, clearly embarrassed by his brothers behavior, "But what I was tryna' say before, is that we've got a problem… you ain't got a spare in your truck"

"Wait, what? What do you mean? It's in the undertow in the back" I said arguably, and he shook his head in disagreement. _Then suddenly it hit me_. I didn't have one, because a couple months prior I had hit a pothole somewhere downtown and had to use the spare after my tire blew out. _Shit_! I kept saying I was going to get another one, _and of course_, I never did. _Way to fucking go Beth. Brav-fucking-oh_. "Damnit, you're right" I finally said, once again feeling the headache and the anxiety creeping up my neck again.

"Well, the only thing I can think of is to ask a friend of mine if he can grab one up for ya' and bring it here… but it might take a couple of hours"

A large sigh fell out of my mouth, "Well I don't really have any other options right now, so I'd appreciate it if you could do that"

"Aright, I'll call him" he said as he grabbed the phone and walked into the hallway for a few minutes to call the person.

I grabbed my cellphone and checked the time again, it was approaching 3pm already, and a couple hours meant that I wasn't getting home until after dark, _that was for sure_. Between waiting for this person to bring the tire, Daryl actually changing it for me, and then driving the couple of hours back to Atlanta, it was going to be late _without a doubt_.

"Aright, he said he can bring it; but he ain't gettin' here till about six" Daryl said as he reentered the kitchen.

"Well, I guess there ain't much I can really do besides wait then, huh?" I said blatantly, there weren't any other alternatives, "I appreciate your help, and I just feel bad that I'm intruding on you like this. I could wait back outside in my car if you'd like, I don't mind"

Daryl chuckled a little, as if I'd said something so completely out of this world, "its fine, you ain't intrudin'; although technically you were when ya' tried to sneak up on me" he joked and I couldn't help but laugh at his humor. What else was I going to do in that moment? I might as well have found the humor in the situation, and besides, as far as I could tell, Daryl seemed like a decent guy. At least the guy was helping me out, and wasn't belittling me like his jerk brother was.

"Thanks, really. I appreciate it" I said with a smile, genuinely meaning it.

"It's nothin', so how's the ankle feelin'" he asked; leaning down and removing the frozen vegetable bag from it, to undo the bandage a little bit. "Damn, got you good. You ain't gonna' be able to put much pressure on this leg for at least a couple of weeks, until it heals"

That was obvious, and the pulsating in my entire leg was making it even more apparent.

"I'll live" I said, trying not to complain too much, "at least I can bend it, otherwise I woulda' had an issue drivin' back on my own too, and that would've really sucked"

"Yeah, you woulda' been shit outta' luck on that one girl, I wouldn't of drivin' ya' home too" he said, with a bit of humor again as he finished re-wrapping the bandage up again.

I just smiled, but didn't say a word as I watched. I _don't know why I was watching, in fact, it_ was almost sinful that I was in the first place; but for some reason, _I couldn't really help it_. He was very attractive, and not to mention the fact that he'd _never once_ put a _damn_ shirt on made it even harder not to let my eyes travel to his broadened shoulders, defined arms and well-sculpted chest.

_Ugh_, but just as quickly as I found myself checking him out, I snapped myself out of it. That was wrong, very, _very wrong._ I was married, and had a husband, and… _but there was no harm in just looking right?_ Ah, _stop it!_ Yes it was wrong, _it was extremely wrong_!

"Beth did ya' hear me?" Daryl asked and I immediately refocused my attention on him speaking._ I was in such a daze that I didn't even hear him talking to me? Good Lord, what is wrong with me?_

"I'm sorry, what?" I said, trying not to be too obvious.

"I said, Merle is grillin' up some food out there, do ya' want some?" he said as he stood back up and leaned against the wall, his face a little puzzled by me.

"Um, uh, yes. Thank you." I said, because it was the only thing I could really think of to say. I was positive that they were eating deer, which again, I didn't really have an issue with. I wasn't against eating animals at all; but I honestly hadn't had venison in years, and I wasn't really sure I'd even like it anymore. It always had such a potent taste; one that you became more used to over time. However, I was a guest in these peoples home, and my father always taught me that rejecting food in someone else's home was an insult, so I guess I was eating venison… whether or not I really wanted to.

**XxxxX**

* * *

It had been a while since eating dinner, which honestly wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated, besides having to deal with Merle and his obnoxiousness; I wasn't feeling as uncomfortable as I had earlier. Daryl and I had talked pretty much the entire time we waited for his friend to show up, and I was finding that he was a pretty interesting person. My first impression of him was definitely turning out to be nothing like I thought it would, and I was discovering through the passing hours that he was a decent guy after all.

He'd told me a great deal about what he does for a living, and how he buys old beat up motorcycles, completely repairs and reconstructs them, and then re-sells them for a whole lot of money. He told me how much he enjoyed doing it, and how it was something he'd really had a passion for. When I'd asked him why he didn't go to school and get licenses in it and move to the city where he could make a lot of money, he told me how that stuff didn't matter to him, and how he didn't want to just uproot his life and force himself somewhere he didn't want to be, just for the money. He loved the quietness that the country brought, and it wasn't something he was willing to compromise to save a buck. He wanted to be happy doing what he loved and not miserable. I admired his desire and his determination to be true to himself and his roots, and it honestly began to make me think about my own.

As I sat in the chair on his front porch and watched him and his friend, Glen, change the tire on my truck for me, I couldn't help but really enjoy the calmness of the area around me. It was so serene, so peaceful, so relaxing, so _unlike Atlanta_. It made me really think about and question why I hadn't persisted on trying to get Phillip to compromise with me on what it was that I really wanted. Even if we'd just bought a second house… a quiet little cabin in the woods somewhere… a _safeguard_… an _escape_ from all the madness of the city.

I made a mental note to bring it up at some point, mention it to him and suggest that maybe we look into it in the near future perhaps.

"Alright, all set" Glen, Daryl's friend yelled as he made his way back towards his pick-up truck, "Nice meeting you again"

"You too" I yelled, attempting to bring myself to standing position, which was getting a little better with time, "Thank you so much"

He waved as he drove off and Daryl quickly jogged over to me, helping me as I slightly hopped down the stairs on one foot.

"Careful there darlin'" he said politely as he grabbed a hold of my hand to make sure I wouldn't fall. I normally would have corrected a man for calling me a pet name; but for some reason, I could tell he wasn't meaning it in an offensive or intrusive way, and I actually kind of enjoyed it a little, to be honest.

He helped me towards my car, holding the door opened as I struggled to get into the seat without putting a lot of pressure on my injured foot.

"Again, Daryl, thank you so much for helping me out today. I truly appreciate it, really" I said through my rolled down window, after he closed my door shut.

"Glad I could help Beth. It was nice meetin' ya'" he said as he leaned against the door, his eyes very focused on mine.

I almost found myself dazing out again; but quickly refocused myself and gave him a smile, "Take care Daryl"

"You too Beth" he said as I started my engine, lightly tapping the side of my truck as I slowly pulled off.

I watched him in my rearview mirror for a bit, as I maneuvered my way away from his little cabin and back towards the road, eventually his image disappearing from my view.

**XxxxX**

* * *

I had driven for about two hours before finally reaching Atlanta, and eventually pulling into my parking garage. My foot was throbbing and I honestly couldn't wait to get upstairs and into my bed, I was truly exhausted and it had been an extremely long day.

After parking the truck, I took a few minutes to rest before getting out and pulling my phone out of my bag to check the time. I had three voicemails and close to five text messages from Phillip, worried about where I was and why I hadn't called him. I didn't even think to call him on the way back because I was so focused on trying to get home as quickly as possible; but something was telling me that I probably should have. He was probably a nervous wreck.

As I grabbed my tote and prepared to get out of the truck, I noticed a piece of paper sticking out of my center console, and I immediately grabbed it and unfolded it.

_"__555-2585 – Call me if ya' ever in my neck of the woods again darlin'"_

As I looked down at the handwritten note, I couldn't help the childish grin that spread across my lips. I shouldn't have even smiled at all, but I just couldn't avoid it… something about the note made me giddy, almost excited even. I couldn't explain the feeling, but it was unlike anything I'd ever felt before… it was sinfully provoking almost.

I'd never use it of course… I was married; but that didn't mean that I couldn't entertain the thought for a moment.

I slipped the note into my tote, for reasons unknown really, and continued on my way towards the building, trying to completely fight back the glowing smile on my face. The feeling I had was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before… it was indescribable and almost impossible to put into words, but something about it was thrilling and enticing all at the same time.

**XxxxX**

* * *

After a lengthy explanation of my whereabouts and how I was injured, of course leaving Daryl out of the equation just to save myself from even more explaining, Phillip and I finally laid down to go to bed, and I couldn't wait to drift off to sleep. My eyes were so heavy and burning from wanting to close that I could barely keep them open any longer. Phillip wrapped his arms around me, as he always did, and within minutes he was fast asleep. Me on the other hand, as tired as I was, I found myself drifting off into thought about everything that had happened throughout the course of the day. It was such a confusing feeling, but part of me couldn't stop thinking about Daryl, and about the note he'd left me. Maybe it was the fact that my once predictable life, had suddenly taken a turn into unpredictable; but whatever it was, it had completely thrown a curve ball towards me… and as I contemplated back and forth about how wrong I was for even fantasizing the thought, I couldn't help but want to see him again.

**XxxxX**

* * *

_**Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts. What do you think is going to happen next?**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three - No Harm in Making a Friend**

Three hours.

It'd been three hours since Phillip left for work this morning. Three hours since I'd peeled myself out of bed and began brewing a pot of coffee. Three hours I'd sat on the couch going over my very limited notes and observations from the day before. Three hours since I'd gotten nowhere. Three hours I couldn't stop thinking about the note. Three hours I couldn't stop thinking about the little warm cabin in the North Georgia Hills. _Three hours_ I couldn't stop thinking about _him_.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, what had come over me, and why I was even thinking about it all. I felt wrong for still having the note in my bag, for thinking about it; hell, I felt horrible for even _wanting_ to think about it. _I was married_. End of story.

It didn't matter whether or not Daryl had been one of the nicest men I'd met in a long time, and it didn't matter whether or not the outlines of his captivating and highly stimulating triceps lingered in the back of my mind like an infectious plague I couldn't seem to divest from. All of it, every single bit of it was _unacceptable_.

Yet, there I was. Sitting in that same place for three hours, staring down at the sloppy handwritten notes and never once actually reading them. I would stare at them and I could feel my eyes scanning the lines, but once I reached the end of the page I had absolutely no idea what it was I read. I can't even remember how many times I tried with no luck. It was nearly impossible, and I was becoming more and more irritated with myself by the minute. I had to do something to distract myself; to rid these horrible, horrible thoughts from my mind.

I tossed the notebook to the side of the couch and grabbed the newspaper sitting on the coffee table in front of me. Maybe there would be something I could read, something interesting, something that could _occupy_ my mind.

As I flipped through the pages, completely uninterested with the usual headlines, my heart almost stopped when I caught sight of a horrible picture of myself, _there_, right on page four.

**_'_****_Hopeful Governors' Wife Returns Home with Injured Foot'_**

_Seriously_? This was less than twelve hours ago, and I was _already_ in the paper?!

Ugh, the anger and humiliation spread through me like wildfire. A news reporter went so far as to hide outside my building in the _middle of the night_ to capture a picture of me and have it posted in the local newspaper the _very next morning_?

This was getting out of hand.

I wanted nothing more than to find _Mr. James B. Andrew_, the photographers' name printed on the bottom of the photo, and ring his _damn_ _neck_!

There I was, limping and caught _mid-waddle_, with tired eyes, messy hair and expression on my face that _only a mother could love_.

I slammed the newspaper down on coffee table in front of me. _Now I was pissed_. If there was anything I _wanted_ to think about now, it was now that secluded little cabin.

God I wished I could just escape it all, and not have to worry that there may be a picture of me _picking a wedgie_ or _adjusting my bra strap_ the next day.

Ugh, it was so frustrating to deal with and it was only becoming worse as the election dragged on.

I loved Phillip, _I really did_; but sometimes I wished I could just run away from it all. Run away from all the press, all the flashing lights, all the questions. I mean, I couldn't even walk to my apartment in the middle of the night without being photographed. _It was becoming ridiculous_.

My fingers sought the temples of my forehead, slowly circulating them as if it would really relieve the tension headache that was forming.

As I slowly rolled my neck around, I took in a deep breathed sigh. My head slowly circulated until my eyes settled on my bag, which was leaning up against my injured foot.

I stared at it for a while, _as if I could burn a hole right through it_. I reached down and pulled it to my lap, opening it and searching until my hand grabbed a hold of the small folded piece of paper.

Pulling it out, I re-read it close to six times. Back and forth, _almost permanently making an image of it in my mind_.

I slowly grabbed my cellphone and contemplated dialing the numbers. My thumb waved nervously above the screen as it fought with my mind on actually doing it. _I wanted to call so bad_; but instead, I dropped the phone back onto the couch and quickly crumbled the paper up in my hand.

_No_. There was no way I was going to call him. I couldn't, and I mentally began scolding myself for even attempting it. _What was wrong with me_?

I pealed myself off the couch and decided that I needed to jump in the shower and then maybe take a nap or something. I was still tired from getting home late the night before, and maybe I just needed to get some rest. _Yep_, that was it. I needed sleep, than my mind would go back to normal and I'd stop thinking all these _crazy_ thoughts.

As I made my way through the kitchen and towards the bathroom, I effortlessly kicked open the lid on the garbage pail and dropped the crumbled note into it, without even so much as a second thought.

That's it, _problem_ _solved_. If it was no longer there, than I wouldn't even have the option to use it anymore.

Following a long hot and relaxing shower, I dressed myself in a clean and comfy pair of sweats and a t-shirt, and collapsed on the bed. I cuddled up under the blankets, making sure to sink myself as far into them as possible, and closed my eyes waiting for nirvana to take over.

It mustn't have taken very long, and I must have been as tired as I felt, because before I knew it, I was waking up to a soft kiss against my forehead.

"Good Mornin' sunshine" Phillips' voice swept into my ear, and I opened my eyes, immediately noticing that there was no longer any sunlight peeking through the window.

"What time is it?" I muttered, pulling myself to a sitting position and allowing a yawn to escape my mouth.

"8:00" he chuckled a bit as he removed his button down shirt and suit pants, eventually slipping into a pair of pajamas, "I picked up some Chinese food, it's in the kitchen. I didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful"

"Thanks" I whispered, still trying to comprehend that I'd slept away the _entire_ day.

"I'd stay up with you; but I have a meeting at 6am tomorrow morning, so I really need to get some sleep" he said as he crawled into bed and quickly placed another kiss on my cheek before settling under the blankets.

I felt my stomach growl and suddenly the thought of eating the Chinese food he spoke about, was extremely appealing.

"By the way, nice picture in the paper today" he joked, opening his eyes for a second and giving me a sarcastic smirk.

_Ugh_. And the _one_ thing I _didn't_ want to be reminded of again was suddenly causing my tension to rise once more.

"Shut up that was a horrible picture" I nudged him playfully; but _honestly_, I didn't think it was very funny at all. "Ya' know, I been meanin' to mention something to you" I said with a very convincing tone, ready to beg if needed.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" He mumbled, his eyes closed and his voice very tired.

"I've been thinkin' and I think we should maybe invest in a cabin somewhere up north or down in Senoia or somethin'… like a little getaway from the city that we could go to every other weekend, or whenever we wanted"

I anxiously awaited his response, but he said _nothing_.

"Hunny, did ya' hear me?" I asked, almost _pleading_ for an answer.

"Yeah, yeah I heard" he mumbled through a yawn, "Can we talk about it some other time? I really need to get some sleep."

I knew he was tired, I did; but he could have _at_ _least_ heard me out real quick. Just gave me some input _at_ _least_ on the thought. I wasn't even sure he'd really known what I said at all. However, I just nodded, planted a gentle kiss on the temple of his head, and quietly escaped the bedroom.

I don't exactly know what I was feeling, but happy _definitely_ wasn't an adjective I woulda' used. But nonetheless, there was nothing I could do.

As I made my way into the kitchen and opened up the container of chicken Lo-Mein, I didn't even bother to put it into a bowl. Instead I just grabbed a fork, pulled up a chair at the counter and ate from the little white folded box.

It was quiet. So quiet I could hear my own thoughts.

There was an overwhelming sadness pouring over me and I couldn't exactly explain why. All I knew was that I wasn't feeling like myself.

I wasn't sure I really had been for quite some time.

It was like the world was just _spinning_ all around me, at lightning speed, and there I was… _sitting there_, in my high story apartment watching the world fly on by.

I'd given up _everything_. I'd given up my dreams, my aspirations, my desires, and not once had I complained. Not once had I tried to convince my husband that my dreams were more important than his.

But at that moment, it almost felt as if mine _didn't_ _matter_ _at_ _all_.

Continuing to think about everything, and aimlessly swirling the noodles around my fork, never actually taking one bite, something inside of me was making me extremely angry. It wasn't even about the fact that I hadn't done much of what I wanted to do, and it wasn't that I had to deal with harassing journalists and reporters on a daily basis.

_No it wasn't that at all_.

It was the fact that when I _finally_ wanted to say something to my husband, to express _my_ interest in finally doing something that _I'd_ always wanted to do, _he just shut me down_. Didn't even give me two seconds of his time. Didn't even try to hear me out, _even just a little bit_.

Did I not deserve five minutes? Did I not deserve just one ounce of the same respect I'd always given to him?

I'd sat around and listened to him rehearse his speeches over and over, reciting the words I had no interest in at all, to the point that I would have liked to shoot myself dead; but yet, I never once brushed him off or told him I didn't want to hear it. I always kept that proud smile on my face, and nodded at him to continue when he would look at me for approval. I never let him feel like I didn't care, I never allowed him to feel as if he wasn't important and I didn't support him. Never.

So why did he think it was okay for him to do it to me?

Suddenly I no longer had the urge to eat anymore. Any feeling of hunger completely vanished and replaced itself with annoyance.

A part of me wanted a cigarette, and a part of me wanted one bad.

I hadn't even so much as picked one up since my senior year of grad school, _yet another thing I basically gave up for Phillip_.

Not that smoking was something I should have been proud of; but still, he didn't like the smell of it, or the taste it would leave in his mouth when he kissed me, so I quit. Cold turkey. And I never lit one again.

When we first moved to Atlanta, the first couple weeks away from my family were really hard. At one point I snuck down to a nearby gas station and picked up a pack. I brought them back to the apartment, and while Phillip was at work I contemplated having one. Me and that pack of cigarettes, we stared at each other for hours. I never lit one up though. I didn't want to lie to my husband, so I took the pack and I slipped it in between one of the wood panels that formed the living room floor. I figured I'd keep em', just in case. That was years now; but suddenly, the urge was taking over me like a bat out of hell.

My leg began shaking, my tell-tale sign that I was fighting back a craving, and as all the thoughts running through my head angered me even more, my eyes zoomed in and focused on the metal garbage pail in the corner. The same pail I'd thrown the crumpled note into earlier.

My thoughts went into overload.

Maybe making a friend wasn't so bad after all. I mean, really, that's all I would make of it anyway. He'd just be a friend. A friend with a nice quiet cabin in the middle of nowhere that I could escape to every once and a while.

A friend that could show me around the hills and point me in the right direction to get some real good information on my studies. Yeah, that's it, no harm in that right?

My feet sprung up without any sense of regret and immediately I walked over to the metal can, opening it and searching through the pile of garbage until my hand recovered the crumple up note.

I grabbed it with confidence. With a certainty that what I was about to do was in fact harmless. Like there was nothing wrong with my decision at all. Nothing whatsoever.

I placed the note onto the corner, washed my hands, picked it back up along with my cell phone and then very cautiously made my way into the living room, leaning down and pulling out my secret pack of cigarettes from the hidden floorboard without even hesitating.

I swiped the box of matches from the top of the fireplace, and then quietly unlocked the patio door, eventually slipping outside and taking a seat on the wooden bench, that was positioned perfectly in front of the Atlanta skyline.

I sat there for a few minutes, holding the note and my cellphone in my left hand, and slipping out a cigarette from the box with my right hand.

I slid the match against the box until it lit up with a small flame, eventually placing it to the end of the cigarette and taking in that familiar drag I'd longed for.

It felt so good. _Almost too good_.

After taking in the slick menthol taste, which had a mixture of stale tobacco in it as well, I finally swiped the screen on my cellphone and began dialing the phone number I'd fought so hard not to call.

As I hit the '**send'** button and slowly brought the phone to my ear, I took another long drag of my cigarette, hoping it would help feed the nerves that were beginning to rise with every ring.

After a long four or five rings and me thinking that he wasn't even going to answer, finally that memorable voice picked up and I suddenly felt as if I might puke.

"Hello?" he said with a low and growlish sound.

I honestly almost hung up. It was as if I couldn't find my voice all of a sudden, like I had gone mute.

"Hello?" he said again, this time with a slight annoyance.

Finally the words came spitting out of me, "Daryl? It's Beth… Ya' know, the girl that got her foot caught in that trap yesterday"

He didn't respond at first, which didn't sit very well with me.

_Great_. He obviously didn't want to hear from me at all. _Stupid Beth… Stupid, stupid Beth._

"I'm sorry, is it a bad time?" I said, my voice sounding ashamed, as if I should have known better.

"Nah Beth" he finally spoke up, "Not at all… I was jus' surprised you called, thas'all"

_Thank god_.

I didn't feel as thoughtless anymore; at least he wasn't annoyed by my call.

"Yeah, I-uh, I jus' wanted ta' say thank you… ya' know, for all you did to help me out yesterday" it was the only thing I could think of to say, my stomach was still in knots, and my lips held on to my cigarette like it was keeping me alive.

"S' nothin'" he said simply, "So ya' comin' back out here ta' see me or somethin'?"

My heart froze for a second. _Oh_ _god_, two seconds into the conversation and he already had the wrong idea.

Suddenly I heard a laugh flood through the phone, "M' jus' messin' with ya Beth, sorry I didn't mean ta' make you uncomfortable"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and let a small chuckle escape my mouth, but really it was more of a relief filled laugh.

"I- uh, I jus' actually wanted ta' ask you if you'd be around tomorrow? I was thinkin' about drivin' up there again and tryin' ta get some more observations done of the area, and being that you know your way around and all, I figured maybe you could help me out? Show me the right paths ta' take and stuff?"

"Uh, yeah… I'll be around" he said and I couldn't help but feel a little sense of excitement, for reasons I was unsure of.

"Great" was the only thing I could think of to say, followed by a _very_ awkward silence.

"Uh, aright then… I'll see ya tomorrow?" he asked a little questionably, as if he could feel my awkwardness through the phone somehow.

"Yes, yeah, and uh Daryl? Thanks again"

"Don't mention it" he said and I felt a smile appear on my face. He was so simple, so _easy_ to talk to. "Call me when ya' close Beth, have a goodnight"

"Okay" I answered, my voice going completely soft, "Goodnight"

As I hung up the phone I couldn't help the butterfly feeling swarming through my stomach, as I flicked the butt of my cigarette off the balcony, sure to leave no evidence of it.

It was a short and cut to the chase kind of conversation that's for sure, but still, it was nice. It was _natural_, like I'd know him for years.

Daryl was going to be a good friend, I kept telling myself.

It wasn't _anything_ more than just that. I just needed a friend _that was all_.

And with that thought I completely convinced myself that it was true.

_God, was I oblivious._

* * *

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for the wonderful response this story has received so far. It is so flattering to know that people are enjoying my work, so really, thank you.**

**So, this chapter starts to change things up a bit, and as you can see, Beth isn't really being honest with herself about how happy she is in Atlanta, or with her marriage even. Beth's struggling with her inner feelings is going to play a major role in the course of this story, and there will be a great deal of meaning to the feelings she keeps juggling back and forth with. **

**So, as always, I am curious to know your thoughts, predictions, suggestions, etc. So please leave a note or PM me :) Believe it or not, your encouragement is what keeps me inspired so please continue to express your thoughts!**

**Also, real quick, if you guys haven't checked out "Georgia Blue" by K. Lynn Perks, you totally need to do so! It is simply amazing and I am totally hooked on it. The writing is awesome, and BONUS, it's a Bethyl Fic! LOL Go check it out, you won't regret it!**

**So, until next update Xo…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:****Oh my goodness, I know, I know... it's been forever since I've updated this, and I am ****sooo**** very sorry I left you all hanging for so long! I've been sooo busy with school work that I just haven't had much time to do anything else. So, again I apologize and I won't burden you with a long authors' note, so here we go. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Four: Headin' Back to Northern Georgia**

"Bethy, don't tell me it's nothin' okay, I seen the pictures. What happened out there? And why do you always do those things alone for anyway?"

Maggie's voice ran through the Bluetooth speakers in my car as I drove. _Always so protective_, my sister.

"Maggie I'm fine, I jus' twisted it up a bit. Got it caught in between two rocks, that's all" I lied; but Maggie was no fool.

"You keep sayin' that like I'm gonna' believe it, and again, you didn't answer my question Beth… why did you go out there alone?"

"Oh my goodness Maggie, will ya' jus' drop it already? I'm fine! And I went out there alone because I wanted to finish my assignment alright? Geez, it's not that big of a deal"

"And what? Phillip jus' lets you go wanderin' out in the middle of the woods three hours away alone? He thinks that's okay?"

Maggie's sarcasm was no hidden detail; she never was too fond of Phillip even though she pretended to be.

See, Maggie always wanted the best for me and sure I appreciated it and all, I loved her for it even; but there was no covering up the fact that she resented him. She resented him for pulling her little sister out of Senoia, and forcing us into some estranged relationship where we only see each other on holidays and surprise visits. It was something Maggie feared when we were little, something she'd asked me to promise her I wouldn't do. But I was just a teenager when I made that promise, I had no idea what my life would be like later on, who I'd be, who I'd meet, who I'd fall in love with. I felt my thoughts drift back to those years as Maggie's voice became more and more distant from my present hearing.

* * *

_We lost our mother young. Maggie was sixteen and I was fourteen, and even though we had each other and Daddy, things were never the same. Daddy fell into a deep dark depression, turning to binge drinking to cure his pain, and Maggie and I were lost. We needed our parents more than anything, and Mama was gone and Daddy was spiraling out of control. All we had was each other. _

_The night my Daddy finally realized he'd gone over the edge, he was in a terrible accident, an accident that almost cost him his life. He'd left a local bar in town and stupidly gotten' behind the wheel to drive home, as he'd foolishly done many nights; but this particular night was the worst he'd ever been. _

_See, a couple months prior to the accident, my Mama, she was murdered…_

_It was seven o'clock in the morning and Mama had just gotten off her shift at the hospital. She worked overnights there; she said she enjoyed it, and it gave her more time to spend with her family during the day. _

_As she made her way to through the parking lot and to the car, a man came up behind her. The cameras in the parking lot were facing her and the man's back, so there was never a clear enough image of the mugger. All anyone could make out was that he was a hefty white man, pretty decent build, and bared no hair on his head. That was all anyone could go by. _

_The man walked up to her from behind, reaching his hand around and placing it on my mother's mouth to prevent her from screaming. He tried to grab her purse from her arms, basically prying it from her; but Mama, she was a tough cookie. I always admired that about her, she was courageous, always. _

_In the videos we could see her fighting back, struggling to peel herself from the man's grip. She fought back and fought back, eventually turning herself around and kicking the mugger in the groin. He buckled for a few minutes, and Mama seized the opportunity to run, to bolt to her car before he could catch up; but unfortunately… she never made it._

_The next part was the hardest to watch for my family, and even most of the jury. I remember seeing their faces cringe as the tape was displayed in the court room during one of the first evidence hearings. _

_Mama ran as fast as she could; I could see how scared she was, I could feel it by just watching. _

_And then all of a sudden it happened. _

_The shot was fired and it hit Mama. It hit her right in the back of her head, causing her to fall straight to the ground without a single movement following, and the darkening of the blood rapidly spread around her on the pavement. _

_Sometimes I wish Maggie and I never would've pressured my Daddy to let us go to that hearing, actually seeing it displayed on camera in front of us was a million times worse than just reading about it in the newspaper. If Maggie and I would've just listened to Daddy and stayed home, we would've never had that image in our head, and we wouldn't have to bear the memory in our minds forever._

_Following that hearing, Daddy's drinking got worse. He was gone all the time, coming home in the wee hours of the morning, stumbling over things and waking Maggie and I up. It was like he was drowning in it all, drowning in the fact that he wasn't there to help her that day. Even when he was sober, Maggie and I didn't even recognize him anymore. He was quiet, distant, and just seemed to be shutting out everything and everyone around him._

_But, those days were nothing compared to the day of the accident._

_It was the final hearing. The police had a suspect in the case and all the prosecutors had to do was prove that it was the man that killed my mother. The case dragged on for months, and finally this was the day the verdict would finally be determined. Maggie and I never actually seen the guy, or the 'suspect' as the court liked to say. We didn't want to. After seeing the tapes, after seeing what this horrible man did to our mother, we just couldn't be there, and we couldn't look at him… it was too painful._

_Daddy left that morning and barely said two words to us. We knew he was worried, and everything involving Mama's murder was all finally coming to an end, an end that everyone hoped would end with justice._

_But justice never came._

_Because the video was unable to provide the face of the mugger, and there was nothing to completely link the suspect to the crime, he walked… completely free. The jury ruled not guilty, for insufficient evidence and that was it. The man was free to go, to walk away without any punishment._

_Daddy was devastated, and when he came home to change his clothes afterwards, Maggie and I could tell that it was his breaking point. He didn't say a word other than telling us that the man was released, but yet his face had pain written all over it. He'd hit rock bottom and we weren't sure if we'd ever get our Daddy back; not the one we used to know at least._

_Daddy disappeared that afternoon, leaving Maggie and I home alone. We had no idea where he was going or what he was doing; but we knew he was just as much of a mess as we were. He was gone for the remainder of the day and well into the night. Maggie and I couldn't sleep, between the thought of the man who murdered our mother still out there, and our daddy nowhere to be found was enough to keep us from sleeping ever again. Every time our eyes shut, the images from those videos would return and cause shivers down our spines, there was no fighting the fear._

_We sat in the hayloft of the barn for hours that night, looking up at the sky and saying absolutely nothing for a while. It was a quiet night, and the weather was nice. Every star in the sky was lit up, and yet all Maggie and I could do was cry. After hours of silence and small glances at each other, she finally looked at me long enough for me to see every single ounce of strength she had start to diminish. _

_Maggie was always the stronger sister, she had done so well to keep it together for me, to be the big sister who comforts the little one; but as she stared into my eyes and her face started to clench, I could tell that she'd been strong for too long. She was at her breaking point; she needed someone to be strong for her this time, and I was ready._

_I grabbed her into my arms and hugged her as tight as I could. Her emotions poured out, and she soaked my shirt with her tears. It lasted a long while, her crying in my arms, and me trying to hold myself together for her; until finally she calmed down enough to catch her breath._

_She leaned up and looked at me with her tear soaked face and said, "Beth, promise me that we will always stick together, you and me. That will never leave each other okay? I can't lose anyone else… I can't"_

_I remember looking at my strong sister, her strength completely breaking before my eyes, and just nodding, pulling her into a hug again. _

_"__I promise Maggie. I promise." I whispered to her and we shared a hug that lasted for what felt like hours, "I'll never leave you"_

_About ten minutes later, a pair of bright headlights came down the driveway, and both of our stomachs dropped when we saw the police siren on the top of the car and realized it was Officer Shane. He pulled to a stop right in front of the house, and Maggie and I looked at each other with complete fear, both of us knowing that something was wrong and it had to be Daddy._

_We climbed down from the hayloft and ran out of the barn so fast that I can still remember the numb feeling in my knees. Everything went into slow motion as my nerves bubbled up inside of me, and as we approached Officer Shane we knew we were right. The look on his face confirming it… something definitely happened to Daddy._

_Maggie looked at me, and I could tell that she was just about ready to collapse right there on the pavement. She wasn't ready to hear what Officer Shane was about to say, she didn't want to hear it; but it came anyway._

_"__Maggie, Beth" he looked down towards the ground, avoiding all eye contact with us both, "I've gotta' get you two down to the hospital… there's been an accident"_

_"__No" Maggie whispered as her bottom lip quivered, "No… Daddy?"_

_He just nodded his head, it was obvious that he hated having to tell us what was going on._

_"__Is- is he okay?" I managed to get the words out of my mouth, but I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer or not._

_"__He- he's in surgery right now. They're doin' everything they can for him; but his leg was severed in the accident. He lost a lot of blood and the doctors, they're just… they're not sure if he's gonna' make it" Shane could see the tears swelling in my eyes, and Maggie, she was already broken, her crying pulled her straight onto the ground._

_That was when I knew that I had to be there for her, I had to be strong, like she'd done for me when Mama passed. I swallowed hard and then grabbed a hold of Maggie, holding her tightly as I peeled her from the floor._

_"__C'mon Maggie, we gotta' have faith. He can make it through this, I know he can. We gotta' have faith. Mama's watchin' over him Maggie, she's gonna' protect him, I know it" I wasn't very confident as I spoke the words to Maggie, but I was confident in knowing that my Mama was looking over us. Something in me told me that she wasn't gonna' let anything happen to Daddy, I could jus' feel it._

_Maggie finally stood up, and Officer Shane and I helped her to the car. We sat in the back of the cop car together; Maggie leaning on me as I rubbed her back and prayed the entire way to the hospital. _

_Thankfully, Daddy did end up pulling through; but his leg was severed so badly that it required amputation. Maggie and I couldn't believe that Daddy actually had his leg removed; but we were grateful that he was still alive, and that he made it through, leg or no leg._

_Following that night, Daddy finally realized the severity of his alcohol problem, and after months of strong-willed resistance, and weekly AA meetings, he quit drinking for good. He said that he saw Mama that night, while he was in surgery. He said that she told him to get his act together for the sake of the girls, and that she was okay._

_Maggie and I thought that he was going crazy at first; however, if that was what kept him sober, than Maggie and I weren't going to argue against him._

_From that point on, our family slowly repaired itself. While things never went back to the way they were when Mama was alive, we moved on as best as we could. _

_Maggie and I were always together, she was my best friend and I was hers; but when I met Phillip, things started to change. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with my sister anymore, or that I wanted to leave her, I just found love. Maggie tried to be happy for me, she never acted mean to Phillip or anything; but I could see right through her smiles. She'd always make comments to me about things, especially when I made the decision to move to Atlanta. I knew she was hurt, but I couldn't go against my husband just because I wanted to be close to my sister. She needed to understand that my life was leading me in other directions. _

_Maggie never actually said the words to me, but I knew she felt betrayed. That I'd gone against my word of never leaving her… that I'd broken my promise._

* * *

"Hello? Are you gonna' answer me or what?" Maggie's voice broke me sounding through the speaker brought me back out of my thoughts and I reached over to the passenger seat and pulled a cigarette out from the forbidden pack resting there.

"Yes Maggie, I'm here" I said as I rolled my eyes and then removed one hand from the steering wheel to light my cigarette. I inhaled deeply and then finally released it, answering her initial question, "Yes he knows and he can't control me Maggie, I'm gonna' do my studies regardless of what anyone wants, even if that means going alone"

"Gosh Beth, you are so stubborn you know that?! You could've been seriously hurt and with no one there to help you!"

"I'm fine Maggie! Now look, I'm driving, I've gotta' go. I'll call you tomorrow or somethin'"

"Fine. Jus' don't go on any more of these expeditions alone Beth, please?"

I wasn't agreeing to that; but, I knew if I didn't that Maggie would never get off of the phone.

"Okay" I said simply, "Love you Maggie, Bye"

"Thank you… and I love you too Beth, Bye"

I didn't technically lie. I wasn't going alone, I would be with Daryl; but I wasn't going to tell her that of course. But I didn't lie, so I didn't feel guilty.

As the call disconnected, I glanced down at the GPS which showed less than twenty minutes left before arriving at Daryl's cabin. I still wasn't sure what I was doing and why, but for some reason I just couldn't stop myself. It was a feeling that was hard to explain, a feeling that I just couldn't let go of.

Just the thought of spending the day out in the middle of nowhere, without any press, was like a dream come true.

I dialed Daryls' number from the Bluetooth and the phone rang twice before he answered.

"Hey" he said in a slight growl, almost making me wonder if I was bothering him.

"Hey, I- uh, I'm almost there" I said as I bit my lip nervously, maybe he didn't really want me to come. Maybe I just put him on the spot and he didn't want to hurt my feelings, "you said to call when I was close"

"Wow" he said and a light chuckle followed.

My stomach dropped and instantly I felt like an idiot. He must not have expected me to actually come, he probably thought I wouldn't really come back and that's the only reason he agreed at all. "Sorry. If you don't want me to come, you can jus' tell-"

"Beth, its fine. I want you to come… I jus' didn't think you _actually_ would, that's all"

"And why's that?" I raised a brow as the curiosity rose, and I felt a slight bit defensive.

He laughed, and I couldn't help but sense a bit of smugness, "No reason, I'm jus' surprised"

"Well I said I needed your help, didn't I?" I asked with a hint of arrogance.

"Yeah, you did. Calm down alright, I didn't mean nothin' by it. How far are you?"

I flicked the end of my cigarette and then took a deep breath, "About fifteen minutes"

"Aright, I'll see ya' when ya' get here then", he let out another scoff before the line ended.

He hung up, and my mind started going in circles again. Was I doing the right thing? Was this wrong of me? Why was he surprised that I'd come back? Why did he sound so smug about it? I just wanted help from him, to get some more observations of the area, that was all. Nothing to be so _surprised_ about.

The thoughts fought back and forth in my mind, right up until I stopped in front of his cabin. The sound of the classic rock playing from behind the house causing deja vu from the day before.

I sat there for a few minutes after shutting the engine off, staring at the quiet little secluded cabin that sat there. The front door was opened again, and the same chimney smoke hovered above the rooftop. It almost saddened me to look at it, because I wanted more than anything to purchase one just like it of my own. A place for Phillip and I to run away to, and to escape the madness of the city together; but for some reason, that wish seemed to be drifting further and further away from reality.

As I wallowed in my own self-pity for a brief moment, I was unexpectedly interrupted by a loud tap on my window.

"Well, if it isn't little Ms. Blondie, back to for another visit" Merles' thwarting grin greeted me with a smug laugh to follow.

I opened the car door and he mockingly held a hand out, insinuating I was some sort of princess or something.

"Hello to you too" I said without grabbing a hold of his hand, and reaching my foot down from the car to carefully get a footing on the ground without hurting my already injured ankle.

"Nice little Mercedes you got here Blondie" he scoffed as he took a long hard look, "fancy"

I crossed my arms and grimmaced, I didn't understand what the big deal was… it was just a stupid car. "Where is Daryl?" I asked, not playing in to his comments.

"Oh, here to see the baby brother huh?" he said with an unpleasant smirk, "And here I thought you jus' couldn't resist my charm"

Again, ignoring his stupid attempts to humor me, "He's supposed to help me with my observations. I spoke to him about fifteen minutes ago, is he here or not?"

He let out a snarky laugh, "I don't know, why don't you go walk around back and see if you can find him? Maybe you wanna' get your foot stuck in another trap or somethin'?"

I didn't respond, but just gave him a very purposeful eye roll instead.

"Oh lighten' up blondie, I was jus' jokin'" he walked a little closer, "looks like ya' healin' up pretty well"

"Yeah, considerin' I had on hiking boots, otherwise I probably wouldn't have a foot to stand on right now, thanks to you" I scoffed.

He laughed and his eyes focused directly on me, his grin quickly disappearing from his face as he placed a hand on the side of the truck, causing my back to press against the door, "You're quite the smart ass aren't ya' darlin'?"

I'm not going to lie, just the presence of his alcohol stained breath that close to my face was a bit frightening. Thankfully though, Daryl's voice interrupted Merle and he let his arm fall, slowly backing away from me as I caught let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Daryl walked towards us, and Merle smiled with a very toothy grin.

"I was helpin' Blondie out of her car here, didn't want her to fall tryin' ta' get out of this big ol' truck with an injured foot"

I narrowed my eyes at Merle, and I could tell at that moment that I didn't like him very much. He was a bully, it was obvious; but why? _What did I do to him?_

Daryls' eyes scanned back and forth between Merle and me, and I quickly straightened myself up, putting in a bit of extra effort to disguise my tension.

"Well, I'm goin' ta' head out little brother" his eyes turned back towards me, "You stayin' for dinner blondie? I plan on bringin' back somethin' fresh" that toothy smirk appeared again.

"Probably not, but thanks for the offer" I said trying not to snap back with one of my snarky remarks.

"Too bad" he said before tapping Daryl on his back and slowly walking away.

Once Merle got into his old beat up pick-up truck and sped off, I looked over at Daryl and couldn't help but let out a sigh, "Your brother is quiet the charmer isn't he?" I said it with a very obvious hint of sarcasm.

Daryl chuckled, "Ah, he's harmless. He jus' gets a kick outta' messin' with people, don't pay attention to 'em"

I nodded but something about Merle wasn't sitting too well with me, and I couldn't help but feel bad for Daryl for having to live with the man. He seemed a little too frightening for my liking, like he was a man capable of doing some really shady things.

"So, ya' ready to go?" he pulled out a cigarette from his ripped jean pocket and placed it in between his lips, "deer watchin' that is" a mocking laughed escaped his lips as he lit his cigarette.

"Are you making fun of me?" I said as I crossed my arms defensively.

He placed both his hands up and smiled, "Not judging" blowing a cloud of smoke from his mouth and turning to walk towards the woods, "C'mon Snow White" he said sarcastically as he turned his head a little with a smirk on his face, "the forest critters are waiting".

I couldn't help but laugh a little, even though I thought his comment was very mean. "You're a jerk, ya' know that?" I said as I followed a smile on my face.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet" he laughed, "I've got pretty good talent for sarcasm"

"As do I" I snapped back playfully and he turned towards me with a grin and a raised eyebrow, a small laugh following.

I was actually excited for what the day had in store for us. I knew he'd help me get as much info as possible, and I had to admit that I honestly enjoyed his company. He was funny, and kind, and considerate. We were going to make good friends, I thought as we made our way deeper and deeper into the woods.

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**Hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you think. What's Merles' deal? Why did he seem like he was ready to snap at Beth? What do you think is in store for Daryl and Beth's day in the woods? What about the flashback of her and Maggie at a younger age, and everything surrounding her mothers' death and fathers' accident? Let me know your thoughts! Xxx**


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